Exodus

Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament. The name means “going out.” The subject is the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Exodus tells of the oppression of the Israelites, the early life of Moses, the plagues in Egypt, the crossing of the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea in some translations), the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and the building of the tabernacle. Chapter 19 records the covenant (agreement) between God and the Israelites.

Modern scholars believe the route of the Exodus was through a marshy area (Sea of Reeds) and along the Mediterranean coast. The traditional view holds that the Israelites crossed the Gulf of Suez into the Sinai Peninsula.